It’s been a busy year for holy well work and the main excitement was the publication of my book Holy Wells of County Cork. This was kindly launched by Gary Branigan, author of Ancient and Holy Wells of Dublin and was hosted by the Working Artist Studios, Ballydehob. The book of course took much longer […]
St Patrick
Sister, Wife, Mother, Saint: St Darerca of Valentia
St Darerca’s Well, also known as Sunday’s Well, Tobar Rí an Domhnaigh, is situated on scenic Valentia Island in Kerry. I had come across this attractive image taken in 1955 and hoped that it might still remain but two previous searches had been fruitless. This time I was determined to track it down. Having already […]
Views, folklore & a lot of green: St Patrick’s Well, Knockpatrick, Limerick
Close to the sea-drenched well at Barrigone is another well, a very different one, this one 572m above sea level and one of several interconnected monuments. St Patrick’s Well, Knockpatrick The site is gated but clearly signed and there is public access. We decided to go to the summit first and and followed the roughly […]
St Kyren & St Molua, two holy wells near Ardagh
Two contrasting wells today, one recently restored, the other quietly being left to its own devices in woodland. First we went in search of St Molua, patron saint of Ardagh – yes, the place where the astonishing chalice was discovered in 1868. All was very quiet as we parked in the village. On inquiring about […]
Tobar Eoin Baiste, Cooliska
St John’s Well, Tobar Eoin Baiste, Cooliska Still in County Limerick, today’s holy well is about seven kilometres southwest of Newcastle West in the townland of Cooliska : an Chúil Loiscthe, the burnt corner. It is large well right on the roadside, dominated by a sparkling white statue of the patron saint, St John the […]
A stray serpent, a sacred fish and elusive kneeprints: two wells dedicated to St Patrick
St Patrick’s Well, Cloncagh Just when he though he had the job done, St Patrick was visiting the church at Cloncagh, South Limerick, when what should he see but a serpent hurtling towards him! He quickly threw his prayer book at the beast and where it landed up sprung a holy well. The serpent was […]